SRI method for resource conservation, profitability and sustainable rice production
Technology Profile
The future of country’s rice production will depend heavily on developing and adopting strategies and practices that use irrigation water efficiently at the farm level. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is one such method which has a potential to produce more rice with less water. Until 1990, the impression was that rice yields better only under flooded conditions. Hence, Water saving technologies in rice is the need of the hour and SRI method which had been tested for last one decade at IIRR and AICRIP programme is one technology which can save resources to more than 30%.
Context
Need: Increase productivity, reduced cost of cultivation, enhancing the soil productivity Existing practices- Majority of the rice farmers practice flooded rice cultivation which consumes 1200 mm ha of water
Potential losses: Water losses, productivity and profitability to an extent of 30%
Areas: In majority of the rice growing areas in Telangana and Andhrapradesh especially suited for Bore well 46% (DRR, 2005-2014)
Empirical Evidences
Demonstration yields and incomes
SRI spaces rice plants more widely and does not depend on continuous flooding of rice fields. It uses lesser seed, chemical inputs and promotes soil biotic activities in and around the root zone, due to liberal applications of compost and weeding with a rotating hoe that aerates the soil. These changed practices with lower inputs lead to enhanced yields with considerable savings of inputs especially the water which is becoming scarce over the years. Grain yield increase by 10-25% and water use decreased by 29%.
| Amount of water (lit) required for raising per one kg seed and Amount of water (lit) required for raising per one kg seed and |
Practical utility/Scalability
- Saving in seed cost to the extent of 60%
- Improved soil health due to use of orgnaics
- Reduced incidence of pests and diseases
- Eco-friendly method of rice cultivation
- Most suited for hybrid rice cultivation and quality seed production
- Already the Practice is followed in 53 countries across the world
- A million farmers in India are practicing the principles of SRI method
